TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF KOREANS Basically, Koreans living in Russia today are descendants of Koreans who migrated from the northern part of Korea to Russia in search of better life. This happened, according to documents, around 1864, although there is evidence that Koreans settled before this date. Russia in general treated Korean settlers very favorably. Seeing the hard work and peacefulness of the Koreans, Russia not only allowed them to settle and cultivate the lands of the Primorsky Territory, but also gave them its citizenship. Koreans who accepted Russian citizenship began to consider it their Motherland. What exactly makes people Koreans and identify themselves as such? There are three signs by which a Korean can be identified: surname, cuisine and adherence to traditions. To feel like a Korean, you must first of all preserve the spirit of the people. And it lies in observing the traditions, customs and rituals of this people. Not in carefully observing them, but in preserving the spirit. Koreans, brought up on Confucian norms in relation to the country, when they find themselves in Russia, consider these states to be their homeland. Ancestors and parents. The veneration of ancestors among Koreans has changed from veneration of ancestors up to the fourth generation to veneration of only parents. Spouses. Despite the fact that women, sometimes earning more than their husbands, have acquired economic independence and are gradually playing a leading role in the family, they still, at least for now, consider the husband to be the main one in the family. Children. Today, Koreans love their children equally, whether they are boys or girls, unlike in the past. If there is no boy in the family, then this is no longer considered a tragedy and is perceived by people calmly. But just 40 years ago everything was different. The birth of a girl was perceived by some as a tragedy. “A daughter upsets her parents twice: when she was born and when she gets married” - there is a Korean saying. Today, the birth of a girl is celebrated no less than the birth of a boy, at least among Koreans. Funeral and funeral ceremonies. They also suffered strong change: from throwing corpses into fields wrapped in straw mats, and complex Confucian norms, mourning and burial ceremonies in the recent past, to simplified versions adapted to modern realities today. From burial vaults and tombs to small granite, marble monuments and cremation. From wooden memorial plaques to photographs and paper memorial leaves (chiban), which are burned at the end of mourning. From remembering ancestors up to the fourth generation - to remembering only parents. Koreans mourn for three years. If there are no sons in the family, then mourning ceremonies for ancestors and parents are performed by daughters. Holidays. Celebrations of “sollar”, “hansik”, “tano”, “chuseok” no longer play such an important role. social role what before. Previously, rituals showed the connection between production activities and social relations, today this is not the case. In conclusion, I would like to say to those who, due to various circumstances, did not know anything about customs and rituals before, so that they become imbued with the spirit of our people and finally feel like who they are and feel a connection with their fellow tribesmen, receiving harmony and tranquility. "The ancients said that any country can perish, but its history will live forever. Therefore, a country is a shell, and history is its spirit. If the spirit is immortal, then the shell can be reborn again. For example, as long as Judaism exists, there are Jews scattered throughout do not mix with other peoples. India also ceased to exist as a state, but as long as the Brahmans observe the precepts of Hinduism, India will live forever." To paraphrase it, we can say: ...we will feel like Koreans as long as we observe the customs and rituals bequeathed to us by our ancestors. Hard work, respect for elders, and the cult of education were and are considered today the most important virtue, including among Koreans, and this is known all over the world. The feeling of respect for elders is so strong in every Korean that, whether he wants it or not, it sometimes manifests itself unconsciously. At the heart of Korean customs and rituals is the desire for Order and Harmony. They must reign in the soul, in the family, in society, in the state. After thousands of years of such upbringing, it is natural to assume that every Korean unconsciously strives for order and harmony.
Korean traditions
Traditions Korean people definitely influenced the emergence of crafts. The products of Korean craftsmen are famous for their quality, subtlety and elegance of execution.
One of the Korean traditions was to sleep by sitting directly on the floor. Therefore, the work of cabinetmakers was simple, but of a very sophisticated, complex design. All products were made from the best types of wood using high-quality, most often transparent, varnishes.
All proportions were respected. Craftsmen invented more and more new parts and ways to attach them. All metal parts for wooden furniture were made of bronze, copper and oiled iron.
To today Furniture from the 18th century has been preserved: tables, cabinets, shelves, chests of drawers. They belong to the Joseon Dynasty.
All metal parts for wooden furniture were made of bronze, copper and oiled iron.
Another of the most ancient crafts is metal processing. Products made of gold, silver and bronze, jewelry that have survived to this day, never cease to amaze with their sophistication. The greatest admiration is for the products that were made by craftsmen from the kingdom of Silla.
Printing is another page in the cultural history of Korea. In 1234, typeface came into use. In Europe, this phenomenon appeared only 200 years later. A document made using this font dates back to 1377. It is now kept in the National Library of Paris.
The production of religious objects is also quite developed, which began to spread with the rise of Buddhism. Religious objects include: incense burners, gongs, lamps, etc. Crayfish for storing the ashes of cremated monks after death deserve special attention. They often had the shape of a pagoda.
Much is known about the making of bronze bells. They reached sizes from 30 cm to several meters. These bells had a unique design and a special long, drawn-out sound, which shows the art of metalworking, well studied by Korean craftsmen.
Many Korean arts and crafts continue to exist to this day. The decorative and applied arts of Koreans are developed and passed on from generation to generation. It is part of the national culture of Korea, which influences many aspects of the life of the Korean population.
Holidays
Koreans are working people. But no one disdains holidays and memorable dates, quite the contrary. Since the country uses two calendars, there are quite a few holiday dates. Not all holidays have retained their ancient customs. But the two main holidays of the year, namely Lunar New Year and Chuseok, continue to be celebrated as they should be.
Salt (or New Year) – this is the name of the first day of the first month, one of the main holidays of the year. Koreans celebrate New Year twice. January 1 and 2 are the official date of the New Year celebration. New Year's Eve lunar calendar has an approximate date of late January or early February. It is customary to celebrate it with family and relatives. Koreans also send thank-you cards to friends and comrades with wishes for the coming year.
According to custom, children dress up in hanbok (silk, colorful clothes), bow to their elders and parents (sebae), wishing each other and their family members happiness (pok). Parents and older relatives reward their children with a small amount of money and give wise advice.
For entertainment purposes, they fly kites into the sky and play tug-of-war. There is also a folk board game with chopsticks - yut noria.
Each game carries a special meaning. The tug of war, parts of which symbolize the masculine and feminine principles, prepares abundance and prosperity for the winning team. Flying a kite symbolizes deliverance from grief, troubles, failures and illnesses.
Traditionally, one of the main dishes on the table is deokguk, a soup with rice dumplings in meat broth. Eating toekguk implies “eating” another year. Other traditional foods: pindaetok (bean pancakes), dumplings, sujeongwa (cinnamon tea), sikhae (rice kvass), etc.
Chuseok is the "Harvest Festival", the fifteenth day of the eighth month
Another main holiday in South Korea. On this day gratitude is expressed higher powers for the harvest - hanavi.
It is customary to celebrate this day surrounded by relatives, friends, and family. Traditional clothing is khabok. According to custom, a table is set for the ancestors and certain ceremonies are performed. Products collected from the new harvest are placed on the table - chestnuts, persimmons, apples, Korean pears, yubba.
Be sure to make rice cakes in the shape of a crescent - songpyeon.
It is customary to have fun with the same games as in the New Year.
Korean wedding
A modern Korean wedding is neither like an ancient wedding ceremony nor like a Western wedding. its new traditions developed quite recently, in the fifties, but everyone in Korea follows them.
Since the 1960s The main, although not the only, place for the wedding ceremony was the “ritual halls” - “yesikzhang”. Despite such a vague name, these establishments do not hold “rituals” in general, but weddings. Quite often, a wedding is celebrated in a restaurant, in the hall of which all the necessary rituals are held (exactly the same as in “yesikjang”). Some families prefer to spend the entire holiday at home, but there are relatively few of them now.
In the old days very great value was given to the choice of a favorable day and even hour for wedding celebrations. This choice was made after consultation with a professional fortuneteller. In general, this custom is still alive today, although now the fortuneteller is often consulted about choosing only the day (but not the hour) of the wedding. The day is determined according to the ancient lunar calendar, and not according to the Western (solar) calendar now accepted in South Korea. The leap month, which is sometimes inserted into the Far Eastern lunisolar calendar, is considered extremely unfavorable for weddings. During this month, the number of orders in yesikjang is reduced many times. So, in 1995, during a leap month, which then fell in October, the number of orders in one of the most famous “yesikjang” in the city of Gwangju decreased by about 15 times compared to a normal October.
The wedding is usually scheduled for daytime, and the majority strives for it to take place on Sunday or on Saturday afternoon, that is, after hours, when all those invited can come to the celebration. Some weddings take place on regular weekdays, but this is quite rare. Therefore, in 1996, the Ministry of Social Security reduced the prices for the use of “yesikzhang” in weekdays by 50%. These prices, like many others, are strictly controlled by the government in Korea.
Before the wedding, the bride visits the hairdresser and puts on a wedding dress. Since the 1950s In Korea, luxurious white dresses, almost indistinguishable from Western models, came into fashion and became an almost obligatory part of the wedding ritual (including non-church ones). Most brides sew their dress again. The groom at a wedding is usually dressed in an expensive Western-style suit, sometimes even in a tailcoat. A tailcoat is like an expensive thing, but ordinary life they almost never buy something they don’t need, but rent it for the duration of the wedding, but they can buy a suit for such an occasion.
Shortly before the appointed time of the wedding, guests begin to arrive at the esikjang. There is a special “waiting room” for the bride and her closest friends; other guests go inside immediately upon arrival, while the men wait for the ceremony to begin directly at the entrance, exchanging greetings. The parents of the bride and groom are also there, who also greet the arriving guests.
Korean weddings are exceptionally crowded. It is customary to invite relatives, including very distant ones, colleagues, and former classmates to a wedding, so usually there are several hundred, and in some cases several thousand, guests at a wedding.
A wedding is a very expensive event, but it is still cheaper than it might seem at first glance. A custom that instructs all invitees to bring envelopes with money to the wedding, which are given to the newlyweds as gifts, helps reduce the burden of expenses. There are almost no “material” gifts given at Korean weddings. The amounts given in this way can be very different, but in most cases the envelope contains several tens of thousands of won (10 thousand won - approximately 8 dollars). Immediately upon arrival at esikjang, guests place envelopes with money on a tray placed at the entrance to the hall and sign on a special list. By tradition, all envelopes must be labeled, so that the hosts always know how generous this or that guest was.
About half an hour or an hour before the ceremony, the newlyweds appear. First, the bride goes to the “waiting room”, where she cleans herself up. Often, even before arriving at esikjang, young people in full ceremonial dress go to one of the few city parks to take photographs there in the open air. Generally speaking, during a wedding, newlyweds are constantly photographed, and a luxuriously designed wedding album can be found in any Korean home. Of course, along with photographers, videographers are often invited to weddings.
A few minutes before the start of the ceremony, guests enter the hall and sit on chairs. Those invited from the groom's side sit on the left (if you stand with your back to the door) side of the aisle, and those invited by the bride's family sit on the right. After this, the actual wedding begins. The first to enter the hall are the mother of the groom and the mother of the bride. They approach the dais located at the far end of the hall, on which, in fact, the entire ritual will take place, and light the candles installed there. After this, they bow to each other and the guests and sit in their places of honor in the front row.
Then the groom enters the hall. Behind him appears the bride, led by the hand by her father or, if he is not there, then one of her older male relatives. The bride, accompanied by her father, approaches the groom, after which the groom greets his future father-in-law and takes the bride's hand. At this time, music sounds - not the usual “Wedding March” by Mendelssohn, but another “Wedding March” by Wagner. In accordance with ancient traditions, which have passed into modern ritual, the bride should not raise her eyes when passing through the hall. She walks through the hall with her head bowed low and her eyes downcast, with her whole appearance depicting meekness, which in ancient Confucian times was considered the main dignity of a Korean woman.
After this, the ritual director approaches the newlyweds - a figure who plays a very important role in the wedding ceremony. It is customary to invite a respected person who occupies a prominent position in society to fill this role. The role of ritual manager can be a large businessman, official, politician, university professor, etc. Typically, families of young people seek to invite the highest-ranking and most influential of their acquaintances to this role. In addition to him, the host also takes part in the wedding ceremony, who must represent the main characters, give the necessary orders. The host is usually one of the groom's friends.
After the bride and groom rise to the low podium at the end of the hall, the ritual director addresses them and those present with a short speech, which usually lasts about 5 minutes. It is this speech that is considered climax the official part of the celebration. First, the ritual director invites the newlyweds to take an oath that they are ready to live their lives in love and harmony. Young people express their consent with a short monosyllabic “E” (“Yes”). After this, the manager solemnly proclaims them husband and wife. In the rest of the speech, the manager praises the newlyweds, talks about the merits of the bride and groom, and wishes them happiness in the beginning family life.
After this it is time for greetings. First, the newlyweds, standing next to each other, greet the bride’s parents with a deep bow, then the groom’s parents, and, finally, all the guests. After this, the newlyweds leave the hall together (this time to the sounds of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March”). This concludes the main part of the wedding ceremony, which lasts no more than half an hour. At the exit from the hall, photography begins again. The first photograph is taken together with the director of the ritual, the second - together with the parents, the further ones - together with relatives, colleagues and fellow students.
After the official part is completed, all guests go to a gala dinner, which can be held either in the banquet restaurant at the esikjang, or somewhere nearby. However, the young people are not present at the banquet. After it begins, they go to a special room “pyebeksil”, in which the newlyweds greet their parents and husband’s relatives, who have specially gathered there. For this ceremony, both the bride and groom remove their Western attire and change into traditional Korean wedding dress. There is also a table with refreshments in the room, the obligatory element of which is jujube fruits.
The bride and groom, in turn, in order of seniority, approach each of the relatives and, having made a ritual bow to him, present him with a glass of alcohol. The greeting begins with the groom's parents, before whom it is necessary to make two bows to the ground and one bow from the waist. Other older relatives are greeted with one bow to the ground and one bow.
In response, each of those whom the bride greeted in this way gives her money, which the newlyweds then take with them on their honeymoon. The old custom is still widespread when the newlywed's father-in-law and mother-in-law throw a jujub, symbolizing male offspring, into the newlywed's skirt, thus expressing to her the desire to have more sons. Another custom, based on the same symbolism, is often found at weddings: the groom puts the jujube fruit in the bride’s mouth, and then they drink a glass together.
After meeting with the husband's relatives, the newlyweds usually head to the banquet hall, where they greet the guests. Immediately after the wedding, the newlyweds go on their honeymoon.
This is how life together begins...
Child's birthday
In many countries, the anniversary of the birth of a person is the most important family holiday. This also applies to Korea.
The first major celebration that was dedicated to the birth of a child were rituals on the occasion of 100 days from the moment of his birth. Nowadays, 100 days from the moment of birth (“baek il”, which, in fact, means “100 days”) are not celebrated so grandly, but in times of enormous infant mortality, the fact that a newborn has safely overcome the most dangerous period of his life was a reason for joy. If the child was sick on that day, the holiday was not celebrated so as not to cause misfortune.
Traditions required that on this day offerings (rice and soup) be made to the patroness of childbirth, Samsin halmoni. On this day, it was also supposed to send rice cookies to everyone you knew. Those who received such a gift sent back offerings consisting of rice and/or money. Nowadays, all these rituals have almost disappeared, and on the occasion of the 100th day of the birth of a child, only a small evening can be organized in the family, to which relatives and friends are invited.
Much more important is “toly”, the first birthday of a child who is one year old. And today “tolya” is celebrated with exceptional pomp. Traditionally, the hero of the occasion, dressed in a bright suit of colored silk, specially made for this occasion, sits next to his parents, importantly observing the ritual in his honor. The culmination of the entire celebration is considered to be a fortune-telling about the child’s future, which, albeit in a somewhat modernized form, remains popular even now, although, of course, it is taken with much less seriousness than in the old days.
In accordance with this ritual, a small table is placed in front of the child, on which objects are placed, each of which has a special symbolic meaning. Most often it is thread, a book, a writing brush, ink, money, rice, noodles. In addition, scissors are placed on the table for girls, and a dagger or arrow is placed on the table for boys. The baby should go to the table and take the item he likes. If he picks up a thread or noodles, this means that longevity awaits him, the choice of a brush for writing or a book foreshadows a successful official career, rice or money are chosen by those who expect wealth, the fruits of jujub symbolize numerous and famous offspring, a dagger or an arrow The scissors chosen by the boy mean that he will become a famous warrior, and the scissors chosen by the girl foretell that she will become a good housewife. AND
To this day, “tol” is a large and rather expensive celebration, which is celebrated magnificently, with dozens of invitees. On “tolya” it is customary to give children’s things, money, and gold rings. Often, after the Tolya celebration, a family turns out to be the owner of quite a large number of such rings, which are considered as a kind of reserve accumulation for the baby.
However, after the first birthday comes the second, then the third, fourth, and all of them, of course, are also celebrated in Korea. Traditions of celebrating birthdays these days are quite mixed. On the one hand, a significant part of Koreans celebrate them by Western tradition.
Birthdays are often celebrated in a restaurant, and buffets are especially popular, which in Korea generally serve as one of the most favorite places for family celebrations. An indispensable accessory to the festive table is a cake, often quite large and very beautiful. In general, cake for most Koreans, who are generally indifferent to sweets, is associated exclusively with two holidays - happy birthday and merry Christmas. Therefore, when selling a cake in a pastry shop, the visitor is always asked if he needs a set of small candles, which, according to Western tradition, are supposed to decorate a birthday cake. An almost invariable part of the ritual is the solemn performance of the American congratulatory melody “Happy birthday to you!” It is curious that almost all middle-aged and older Koreans, as well as a very significant part of young people, celebrate their birthday not according to the Western calendar, but according to the traditional lunar calendar, so this holiday falls on different dates in different years.
Despite recent changes, the traditional Confucian structure of social relations still largely determines the behavior of Koreans.
Respect for elders
Age and social status are of great importance. It is believed that those younger in age or those of lower social status are obliged to follow the wishes of their elders without objection. That's why people in Korea often ask about age, marital status a person in order to determine his position in relation to this person. These questions are not asked out of idle curiosity. However, you don't have to answer them if you don't want to.
Names
Some of the most common Korean surnames include the following: Kim (21% of all Koreans), Lee (14%), Park (8%), Choi (or Choi), Jeon, Chan, Han, Lim, etc. A Korean name consists of a family name of mostly one syllable and a given name of generally two syllables. Last name comes first. Women in Korea do not take their husband's surname after marriage, but their children take their father's surname.
Marriages
In Korea, marriage is traditionally considered the most important event in life, and divorce is a shame not only for former spouses, but also for their families. Despite this, the divorce rate has been rising sharply in recent years. The modern wedding ceremony is somewhat different from the traditional one. First, a Western-style ceremony is held in the wedding palace or church. In it, the bride and groom are dressed in a tuxedo and wedding dress, respectively. Then on the same day (and usually in the same place) a traditional wedding ceremony is held in a separate room, during which the newlyweds are dressed in traditional Korean costumes.
Chere (rite of remembrance of ancestors)
According to traditional Korean beliefs, when a person dies, his soul does not immediately go to another world, but only after four generations. During this time, the deceased is considered a member of the family. On holidays such as Seollal (Lunar New Year) or Chuseok (Harvest Day), as well as on the day of death of the deceased, his descendants perform a rite of remembrance. Koreans believe that they can live happily thanks to the care of their departed ancestors.
Rules of behavior and gestures
Koreans place great importance on greetings and words of gratitude. They are always pronounced with a slight bow. The depth of the bow depends on the relative position of the speakers. Koreans do not like excessive displays of emotion and usually limit direct physical contact to a polite handshake. However, as your relationship becomes closer, greater familiarity may occur.
Foreigners in Korea are often surprised to see girls walking hand in hand. Touching between people of the same sex who are in close friendships is completely acceptable in Korea. Public displays of affection between different sexes, such as kissing and hugging, are not as rare these days as they once were, but continue to be considered obscene.
Traditionally, Koreans sit, eat and sleep on the floor. Therefore, when entering a Korean home, you should always take off your shoes. In Korea, it is considered rude to be bare-legged in the presence of elders, so it is recommended to always wear socks or stockings when visiting a Korean family.
Among the younger generation of Koreans, it is considered quite normal to contribute, but it often happens that one of the group of friends or colleagues pays. It used to be considered impolite to talk while eating in Korea, but these days it is acceptable to talk and laugh at the table.
Words of gratitude for delicious food and good service are always received with joy. It is considered rude to blow your nose at the table.
In Korea, it is not customary to call someone with your palm facing up or beckon with your finger.. Dogs are usually called with such gestures in Korea. If you want to call someone over, do it with your hand, palm facing down.
Hanbok
For thousands of years, hanbok has been traditional clothes Koreans. The beauty and grace of Korean culture is perfectly conveyed in photographs of Korean women wearing hanbok. Before the advent of Western-style clothing in Korea about 100 years ago, hanbok was the everyday clothing of Koreans.
Men wore jeogori (jacket) and paji (pants), while women wore jeogori and chhima (skirt). Nowadays, hanbok is dressed only in formal and holidays such as wedding day, Seollal (Lunar New Year) or Chuseok (Harvest Day).
Ondol
Rooms in a traditional home do not have a clearly defined purpose. For example, there are no rooms that are used as, say, a dining room or a bedroom. Depending on the need, the same room can be used both as a dining room (in this case a small folding table is placed there) and as a bedroom (in this case a mattress is laid in the room).
Most Koreans prefer to sit and sleep on the floor on special mats or mattresses. Rooms in a Korean house have a special heating system ondol, built into the floor. Previously, rooms were heated by hot air that circulated through pipes in the clay floor. Today, hydronic heating is used: hot water circulates through pipes built into a cement floor covered with linoleum or other material.
Gimjang
Gimjang is a centuries-old tradition of preparing kimchi for the winter, passed down from generation to generation. Various pickled vegetables (mostly kale), called kimchi in Korea, are prepared for future use in late autumn. It is simply impossible to imagine a Korean table without this dish.
Eastern medicine
In Eastern medicine, it is believed that all diseases are caused by a decrease in vital energy and weakening of the body's immune system, i.e. not a dysfunction of any particular organ, but an imbalance vitality in the body as a whole. Therefore, Eastern medicine strives to treat diseases by strengthening the immune system and restoring harmony in the body, and not by eliminating pathogenic factors.
The main methods of Eastern medicine include herbal medicine, acupuncture (acupuncture), mugwort, and cupping.
In the Republic of Korea, there are many national holidays that are loved and revered by the residents of this country. The history of some began many centuries ago, while others began quite recently. Each celebration has its own traditions and customs, which are observed with trepidation by the people of this magnificent country.
National Korean holidays and dates
The country's most important celebrations occur in autumn and winter. The government provides the population with days off during all official holidays. But this happens if the celebration is state, and not religious.
The main holidays of Koreans:
- Chuseok - 14, 15, 16 days of the eighth lunar month.
- Christmas - December 25th.
- New Year and Seollal - January 1 and the first day of the lunar calendar.
- Independence Movement Day - March 1st.
- Memorial Day - July 6th.
Of all the celebrations in the country, the most important and revered are the Korean New Year and the Chuseok holiday. Officially, they are considered weekends and last three days. All this time, local residents organize theatrical performances, performances and festivals, honoring the traditions of the holidays and their customs. It is considered great luck and joy for tourists to attend such national celebrations.
Harvest Day
Chuseok is one of the most significant Korean holidays in October, celebrated on the day of the full moon. All residents of the country look forward to the autumn harvest celebration with great impatience and specially come to their parents’ houses to celebrate it together. The Korean holiday Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and lasts for three days in total. At this celebration, people express their gratitude to the earth for its bounty.
At the Korean harvest festival, all relatives and close people gather and together they prepare the country's national dishes. But the most important ritual on this significant day is visiting the graves of ancestors and chanting them throughout the feast. Also at the autumn celebration, sacrifices and traditional round dances are held.
Older generations, unlike young people, treat the Korean harvest festival with special trepidation. They observe absolutely all its traditions, even though many centuries have passed since the founding of this celebration. So, many centuries ago on this day it was customary to wear a new hanbok (festive outfit of Koreans), but the younger generation replaced it with ordinary clothes.
National dishes for Chuseok and veneration of ancestors
All special events among the Korean people are held in compliance with the rules regarding the festive table. In addition to a variety of dishes prepared according to the preference of the housewife herself, fresh food must be present at the bottom of the harvest. It can be fresh or aged for no more than one year.
It is also necessary to prepare rice dough breads in advance. Koreans call them songpyeon and prepare them with the whole family on the eve of the holiday. You can add sweet beans or sesame seeds to rice cakes. Jeong flatbreads are also considered obligatory to prepare. They are baked from rice dough with pieces of various fillings, seasoned with sesame seeds or legumes. There is no exact recipe for this dish; ingredients may vary slightly. different corners South Korea.
After a meal, Koreans are required to come to the graves of their ancestors and perform rituals there, including the presentation of treats (seonmyu ritual). At burial sites, people mow the grass and clear the area of debris.
Korean Christmas
This holiday is considered one of the most important in the Republic of Korea. Christmas is celebrated here on December 25th. It is because of this winter celebration that all streets, shops, houses and public places begin to be decorated with sparkling lights and bright posters. Christmas music plays everywhere, and cafes and restaurants are full of variety unusual dishes and drinks.
On the eve of this Korean holiday, various festivals and theatrical performances. Most often, people celebrate Christmas with their families, at home. The main dish of the feast is a festive pie with various fillings of meat, fish with seasonings and legumes.
New Year
As in China, this one is celebrated twice a year: according to the solar and lunar calendar. Such celebrations immerse the country in winter's tale thanks to his colorful performances. The Korean population, like most other countries, celebrates the first New Year on the first of January. And the traditional celebration of Seollal occurs only in February. There, having visited the Republic of Korea during these two months, you can fully experience the whole holiday atmosphere of this country and admire its beauty.
They celebrate the New Year in this state not like in Russia, at night, but only at dawn, in the company of loved ones and dear people. To maintain traditions, people go out onto roofs, verandas and balconies, and travel to the mountains and hills. The weather in Korea also contributes to this. Due to the fairly warm climate in the country, New Year's celebrations take place without frost or strong wind.
Features of the holiday
The surprising thing is that Koreans begin decorating their streets and houses from the beginning of December, almost a month before Christmas, and only clean it all up in February, after Seollal. For two and a half months, the country has an atmosphere of celebration, magic and a wonderful fairy tale, which anyone can get into.
At the celebration itself in Korea, according to tradition, the population flies numerous paper kites. Such an action can fascinate any tourist with its beauty and unusualness. There are also many traditional rice dishes prepared for this Korean holiday. One of them is tteok. This is Korean national sweet dessert, which every guest must eat, since, according to legend, such a delicacy attracts good luck and happiness.
National Celebration - Seollal
Korean New Year is officially celebrated by locals for three days. But earlier the holiday lasted longer, from the new moon to the full moon, a total of 15 days. According to tradition, New Year's celebrations are celebrated in the family circle, with many national dishes and drinks: Korean dumplings, rice wine, tteok. And also porridge from five grains.
In addition to this, on festive table must be present: dried fish and fruit. On New Year's Eve, the house is decorated with images of a tiger and a chicken. According to popular belief, these animals attract prosperity, happiness and ward off evil.
It is also customary to wear national clothes on the holiday and give gifts to loved ones, relatives, colleagues and acquaintances. The most common are money and food. You can give holiday food and sweets.
Independence Day
Samiljeol is considered a public holiday, celebrated on the first of March in Korea. It was on this day in 1919 that the country's independence from Japanese occupation was declared.
The whole country celebrates this holiday. The Korean people take to the squares with the flags of their state. Also at this festival, concerts, theatrical performances are held, excursions to museums are organized, where shows outstanding personalities of that time and their biographies.
Even on this significant day, the heroine of the country, Yu Gwan Sun, is revered. The girl fought until the very end for the future of her country. She initiated uprisings against Japanese totalitarianism. The girl died in agony due to the torture of the occupiers and was subsequently recognized as a national heroine. Yoo Gwan Sun was only 17 years old.
Official Remembrance Day
Korea's national holiday is celebrated on June 6, in honor of the end of Civil War in 1953. Remembrance Day received the status of an official holiday in 1970. On the holiday, Koreans remember the heroes who sacrificed their lives to save their Motherland.
On this memorable day at 10 o'clock in the morning, a minute of silence is declared throughout the country in honor of all fallen civilians and soldiers. Flowers are laid on graves and monuments throughout the day - white chrysanthemums, as a sign of mourning. In Korea, concerts are held dedicated to war veterans, and songs of those years are performed. Children stage theatrical skits based on battle themes.
All national Korean holidays and traditions differ from each other in customs and rituals. But one thing remains unchanged in them - respect and veneration for their people. Locals They treat with special trepidation all the celebrations that are held in their country, carefully preserve them and pass them on from generation to generation.
South Korea is famous for its special attitude towards older people and ancestors. Children and teenagers are instilled with love and respect for elders and national traditions from an early age. The Korean people are well-educated and respectful of customs.
Held on June 23, 2018 in Chelyabinsk, the main speaker was Chairman of the KLO Council, culturologist Moses Kim. Below is the material on which the message was based.
Moses Kim
There are wonderful traditions - there are people, a nation,
no traditions - no people, no nation.
Ancient wisdom
Traditions (Latin traditio - transmission) are the experience of the life of a nation and the rules, norms and stereotypes of behavior, forms of communication between people, firmly rooted in everyday consciousness. The meaning of national traditions, customs, habits, and their content are valuable and different among individual peoples.
Koreans of Russia, Soviet Union, The CIS for many decades were mostly atheists. However, they always respected their national traditions, customs, rituals. Probably the basis of Korean customs is the desire for order, harmony, and love of life, which should be in the soul, in the family, in society, in the state. Koreans, no matter where they live, are very sensitive to their traditions, customs, tastes, and ideas and try not to violate them.
National traditions and habits are manifested not only in actions, deeds, clothing, food, behavior, style of communication, etc., but also in movements, gestures and other subtle manifestations of people’s psychology. This is fundamentally important, because every person has an unconscious mechanism that records the “us” – “stranger” situation even by subtle manifestations of behavior and psyche.
A characteristic feature of Korean rituals is their family nature. They were originally borrowed from Chinese prescriptions for Confucian ritual, which included their own Korean characteristics. In order to preserve their identity and special flavor, due to their difficult fate and the uniqueness of the Korean people, it is important for Russian Koreans to follow rooted traditions and customs. After all, they are a spiritual bond that is connected with history, culture, worldview, psychology, i.e. the fundamental core of the Korean nation. This is clearly expressed, for example, in the cult towards ancestors, older people, in the cult of education, which stands out among the peoples of the world. Hard work, perseverance in achieving goals, respect for elders, and an all-out desire for education were and remain the most important virtues among Koreans today. Respect for elders is manifested even outwardly, for example, the youngest in age always greets the elder, holding the other hand at the elbow, always hands objects with both hands, and politely gives way. Customs and rituals have undergone significant changes over time, but their essence and spirit have always remained original. What is important here is sincerity in the performance of customs and rituals, and not the meticulous accuracy of their execution. In many places where Koreans live different countries In families, rituals (their execution) may differ from each other, but the main reasons that force them to be observed remain unchanged.
Korean folk wisdom says: a person is good where he himself is good. The history of Koreans living in Russia and in particular in the Southern Urals confirms this. The first Koreans arrived in the Chelyabinsk region after they were allowed to leave places of deportation in Central Asia and Kazakhstan after Stalin’s death. Young men then received the right to serve in the army. In universities Southern Urals Koreans appeared, and more and more often young Korean specialists who graduated from Russian universities and arrived here were assigned. The second wave is associated with the collapse of the USSR and the migration of Koreans from Central Asia to Russia.
Koreans are noticeably represented here both in industrial and agricultural production, in science, education, culture, trade, sports... Well known in the Chelyabinsk region: Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Viktor Ni, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, head of the department at SUSU Dmitry Kim, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor of Chelyabinsk pedagogical university Natalya Kim, doctor historical sciences Valery Kim (ChelSU), Dmitry Yun, boxer, multiple winner of the Russian championship and international tournaments. Illarion Son worked as the director of the Gipromash Institute. Koreans live in Chelyabinsk, Kopeisk, Yuzhnouralsk, Miass, Uvelsky district and other places. The approximate number of Koreans in the region is now about 1,000.
Signs, beliefs, characteristics of Koreans
Koreans spend more than half of their lives studying. Therefore, one of the most “logical” beliefs is not to wash your hair before an exam, as this will wash away all your hard-earned knowledge, and you should not cut your nails so as not to “cut off” your memory. You should also not eat certain foods before important tests or an exam. Superstitious Koreans try to avoid eating slippery foods during this time, such as: miyeok kook(seaweed soup) and kuksu ( korean noodles ) . Because of these slippery algae and long noodles, all knowledge can quickly “slip” out of your head. Also, students do not use a red pen (red ink) during the exam. You especially shouldn’t write your name with it, because it is associated with death.
But to attract good luck and knowledge, you can eat delicious Korean rice sweets before your big day. eta or chaltog. Koreans not only eat them, but also stick them on the outside of the establishment where they want to stay. They say that all these strange rituals help them pass the most difficult exams.
Red ink
Every nation has its own funny superstitions. For example, for Koreans, writing in red ink is the same as for Russians meeting a person with an empty bucket. Many Koreans believe that if you write someone's name in red ink, something very bad will inevitably happen to that person. The names of the deceased are written in red ink on special banners during the funeral ceremony. It is believed that this way the dead can be protected from demons, but for the living, red ink is not protection, but, on the contrary, a curse.
Rules of conduct and gestures
Traditionally, Koreans sit, eat and sleep on the floor. Therefore, when entering a Korean house, you should always take off your shoes. In Korea, it is considered rude to be bare-legged in the presence of elders, so it is recommended to always wear socks or stockings when visiting a Korean family. Words of gratitude for delicious dishes and good service are always received with joy. Moreover, it is more appreciated when they thank you for eating a lot. After all, for many decades, Koreans often simply starved. It is considered rude to blow your nose at the table. But noisily sipping tea and even a small burp will be in order. In Korea, it is not customary to call someone with your palm facing up or beckon with your finger. Dogs are usually called with such gestures in Korea. If you want to call someone over, do it with your hand, palm facing down.
Aigu!
This is a phrase with which Koreans convey a fairly wide range of emotions: from “oh”, “ah”, “oh”, “wow” - to “oh, God”, “wow!”, “wow” !”, “a complete mess.”
"Aigu!" - Korean aunties jabber indignantly when you come to visit them - they give you a cup of kuksi the size of a basin, and you say that you are on a diet and can I have half of this portion, please. Or better yet, half of half.
"Aigu!" - Korean grandmothers lament when damned osteochondrosis or rheumatism attacks their backs.
"Aigu!" - Korean grandfathers are unhappy when they watch the news on TV or hear that the dollar has risen again. And they add: “Aygu, kichada!” Last word means “deafening”, “horror” and, when paired with “aigu”, expresses its extreme degree. This word expresses emotions about something more than it carries a specific lexical meaning. In addition, such exclamation words are used mainly by women.
Handshake
When shaking hands in greeting, Koreans follow special rules. Yes, people are the same social status and close friends use only one hand to shake hands. But if a boss and a subordinate shake hands, or if there is a big difference in age, then the older one extends one hand, and the younger one always shakes it with both hands, most often holding it at the elbow with the first and second hand.
Names
The most common Korean surnames are: Kim (21% of all Koreans), Lee (14%), Park (8%), Choi (or Choi), Jeon, Chan, Han, Lim, etc. But each surname also has a certain pedigree (numerous clans - Mon). It is believed that people from one yet(even now) cannot be husband or wife. A Korean name consists of a surname, which is mostly one syllable, and a given name, which is usually two syllables. Last name comes first. Women in Korea do not take their husband's surname after marriage, but their children take their father's surname. Continuation of the family occurs through the paternal line.
Fate팔자 (phalchzha, phaltya)
The literal translation of this word in Korean means "eight letters". They mean year, month, day ( exact date) birth of a person. Many Koreans believe that these eight letters determine destiny. Fortune tellers say the same thing, combining these data. Upset people sigh: “ Phaltya" When life becomes completely unbearable and difficult, they exclaim: “A dog is even better.” phaltya" or " It's better to throw out yours " phaltya"dog". But then, “to change your eight letters” means to change your life. For a woman, this often means getting married again. For a man - to get rich. So let’s take this Korean proverb into service, instead of the Russian hopeless saying - “You can’t escape fate.”
Quickly, quickly!빨리 빨리 (palli, palli)
Koreans are impatient, but that doesn't mean being hasty. Life forced them in the second half of the twentieth century, when after the war the country lay in ruins (both North and South Korea), to work tirelessly. Faster, even faster. Each construction site and plant set the task “Deliver the object ahead of schedule!” The president and the clerk, the businessman and the worker were hurried with one word - “ palli, palli" The Great Race reached its climax during the reign of Park Chung Hee, who, with his dictatorial methods, pushed the whole of South Korea to quickly achieve high results. IN North Korea quickly built socialism with Korean characteristics... They accelerated so much that “ palli, palli“has become in many ways the norm of life for Koreans. Today, the Koreans seem to have begun to catch their breath a little. But the times when the Korean nobles " yangbans“considered haste beneath their dignity. Inertia " palli", fast is now unlikely to stop.
Politeness in Korean
The culture of relationships among Koreans is built vertically - as a set of highest norms of wisdom and ethics, in which a hierarchical subordination of values and virtues is established. It reflects the five principles of relationships: emperor and subject, father and son, older brother and younger brother, husband and wife, two friends. According to these principles, a father should treat his son with kindness, and sons should treat their father with filial piety; The older brother should treat the younger brother with kindness, and the younger brother should treat the older brother with respect. Further, the husband should treat his wife fairly, and the wife should treat her husband helpfully; The ruler must treat his subjects favorably, and the subjects must treat the ruler with loyalty. Confucian ethics created a strong foundation for relationships between Koreans. The social world, in accordance with Confucian teachings, is divided into clear structures: elders - juniors, leader - subordinate, etc. At the same time, the socio-socio-political structure of society is also strictly hierarchical - the connections in it are predominantly vertical. These features of Confucian ethics and traditions are manifested in Korea in the behavior of interlocutors, in their specific gestures, bows, special manners of greeting, in written and oral forms of expressing politeness, courtesy and respect. Therefore, it is important for Korean language learners to know and understand the appropriate degrees of politeness and the written and oral communication styles used by Koreans. We must remember that when communicating with unfamiliar people, especially women, you cannot change communication styles. For example, suddenly switch from a polite official style to a familiar or friendly style. This may be misinterpreted and perceived as insult or harassment.
Filial Piety
Korean traditions also require the expression of respect in speech when addressing the interlocutor or the object of the conversation, if such are parents, grandparents, older brothers and sisters, officials, guests, etc. Nowadays, children often no longer have the opportunity to constantly communicate daily with older relatives or to study different styles communication with elders. Expressions of politeness used by Koreans emphasize the difference in social status and age of the interlocutors. Korea has long been a Confucian country, and this ideology gave the family a very special place. The most important and best of all human qualities in Confucianism was considered hyo - a term that is loosely translated into Russian as “filial piety.” A person was judged largely by how he treated his parents. Unlike Europeans, unquestioning obedience to parental will was required even from adult sons (married daughters had to obey primarily their husband and father-in-law).
An idea of what the ancients understood by filial piety is given by language. The hieroglyph hyo consists of two parts. The first one means “old”. In its depth lies the meaning of veneration, literally “carrying it behind your back,” which in Russian is equivalent to “carrying it in your arms.” The second part of the hieroglyph is “son”. It turns out a kind of definition: “a son carrying his parents on his back is filial piety.” Numerous Confucian theorists have repeatedly refined the meaning of hyo over the centuries, adapting it to modern standards. As they say today, “honoring parents means accepting their instructions, pleasing their souls and nurturing their bodies.” In Korean history, a truly respectful son or daughter was considered to be those who, without deviation, without contradiction, followed the will of their parents, maintaining harmony in the family, no matter how difficult it was for him. Who does not condemn their parents, even if they were wrong, and who has never appeared in front of them with a dissatisfied look, maintaining a calm face. Served them selflessly, with modesty and obedience! A person's duty to his parents was higher than his duty to the state, which the state itself (reluctantly) recognized. Legends say that Confucius, when he was an official in the Principality of Lu, more than once forgave the guilty if they committed crimes out of love for their parents.
Relationships in the family, between men and women
In matters of marriage suitable pair parents and other relatives selected (sometimes with the help of matchmakers), and no one was interested in the opinion of the bride and groom. In families of the rich and noble, in most cases the bride and groom met for the first time at their own wedding. True, many still checked for compatibility by signs eastern zodiac. In general, the old Korean family was based on an all-pervasive hierarchy. It is no coincidence that in Korean, as well as in the languages of other Confucian countries, there is simply no word for “brother” or “sister”: brothers or sisters can be either “elder” or “younger”. For a wife, theoretically, her husband was the highest authority, but men rarely delved into intra-family and economic affairs, so in practice, in the initial years of family life, the young wife had to obey her mother-in-law. From the age of seven, boys and girls were raised separately from each other. In noble families, women almost never left the estate, and if they did occasionally go to visit relatives or to a Buddhist temple, they were always accompanied by servants. Husband and wife, especially if they belonged to the upper class, slept and ate separately. This behavior was called neve-hada(literally: spouses keep their distance from each other). In rich estates, women's and men's quarters were often separated from each other by high stone wall with a gate, and even male family members were prohibited from entering the women’s quarters unless absolutely necessary. In such families there could be no question of women moving around the city independently. As a rule, women noble family It was allowed to leave the estate only in the evening, wrapped from head to toe in a special blanket chan'ot- a distant Korean analogue of the Muslim burqa. Peasants and small traders could not strictly observe these prohibitions, because a woman in such families had to work in the fields, fetch water, and look after the goods in the shop. However, even in the families of the common people, it was believed that the husband should not discuss his affairs and concerns with his wife unless absolutely necessary. Women also shouldn’t involve men in all sorts of domestic problems that they should have dealt with themselves. However, there was a relationship between them, as much as the woman depended on her husband to represent her in public, the man depended on the woman to represent him inside the home.
Korean suffering고생 (kosen)
Every Korean knows the word - concept kosen(difficulties, suffering, sorrows, torment, adversity, pain, deprivation). Kosen – This is an integral part of the life of a Korean person, his inner worldview, and outer expression. They don’t hide it, on the contrary, they even often put it on display (it’s just natural for them). Even a completely wealthy and successful Korean businessman, official, professor, politician, employee, wealthy person will often show others with all his appearance how unhappy he is. How hard and uneasy it is for him, that he is just like everyone else: he doesn’t get enough sleep, he works until late at night, his head is “swollen”, “his mouth is full of worries”, “he has no health or personal life”... And all this does not look theatrical at all , but so naturally and sincerely that they begin to feel sorry for him. When the interlocutor does not have suffering or does not share it with him, then such a person automatically becomes indifferent to him, uninteresting, therefore the conversation itself and further communication stops. It can be said that kosen- truly purely national trait, part of the social, cultural and psychological life images of Koreans.
In this sense, we can say that suffering is a reflection (as strange as it may seem at first glance) of Eastern modesty and, in some way, compensation for success. Kosen mobilizes a person’s strength in overcoming difficulties, in an effort to reach the required standard of living.
Rapid success, quick wealth, and too positive behavior of a person often lead to attacks from envious people and hidden enemies, and therefore a Korean does not hesitate to talk about his problems, concerns, difficulties, shortcomings, and “headaches.”
Sudden obstacles, difficult life situations, grief, illness, poverty and much more are also suffering. They rush to help such a person out of sympathy, understanding him kosen. Suffering also acts as a philosophical, religious, cultural “cushion” for a Korean. Actually kosen- this is a unique way of experiencing, realizing, comprehending objective reality, the opportunity to find in compassion the value foundations of personal self-development. It turns out that kosen(suffering) is not only and not so much a simple feeling, but rather an abstract phenomenon that has a huge impact and plays a vital role in the life of every Korean and Korean communities. Moreover, depending on the country, region, metropolis, city or town, variations of the concept kosen Koreans will have very different ones.
Only the most important ones are briefly touched upon here. characteristic features traditions, customs, rituals of Koreans, which, despite their constant changes, remain basic for Russian Koreans.